For an all-wheel drive (AWD) disconnect system to operate, a disconnect clutch may be used in both the front and the rear of a motor vehicle. The disconnect clutch allows the center prop-shaft and the front and rear hypoid gears to cease spinning. Typically, the disconnect clutch is a splined dog clutch. However, the dog clutch requires an undesirable axial length, reduces the available differential speed of the shafts, and entails onerous actuation force requirements.
Known wedge clutches include inner and outer races and a wedge plate radially disposed between the inner and outer races. Typically, known clutches rely on the relative rotation between the inner and outer races to switch between a locked mode and a free-wheel mode for the clutch. The known actuation schemes are slower than desired and may result in the clutch being stuck in one of the operating modes.